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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cold — an illness
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. craft — boats
  7. cold — not warm
  8. season — of the year
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a skill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fine — high quality
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fine — all right
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com